Miss Verey’s Proposal by Nicola Cornick

Author:Nicola Cornick
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: 0
Published: 2001-08-31T21:00:00+00:00

‘Mademoiselle—’ Jane broke off. ‘Is that her other name? You know her?’

‘I know of her,’ Alex admitted. ‘She is the daughter of the late Vicomte de Beaurain, who lost his head in the Revolution. Her mother fled to England with her daughter when the child was very young. I imagine that she must be about twenty years of age now. Her mother is an invalid and Mademoiselle de Beaurain supports both of them on a pittance from sewing. How did Simon meet her?’

‘She was at the masquerade ball,’ Jane said, in a small voice. Suddenly Simon’s Thérèse had become a real person and had taken on her own character. Jane looked at Alex, troubled.

‘Simon saw her again at Vauxhall last night, and rushed off to try to speak to her. She was with the man in the striped waistcoat, the one who—’ She broke off. ‘Oh, I do hope that Simon knows what he is doing…I would not like to think that Miss de Beaurain is involved in something criminal…’

‘Do not worry,’ Alex spoke quietly. ‘As far as I know, Mademoiselle de Beaurain is quite innocent. She has nothing to reproach herself for except a stubborn pride which I understand has led to a rupture with the English branch of the family!’

‘Oh, how unfortunate!’ Jane’s sympathies were already thoroughly engaged with the young émigrée girl who had to struggle so hard to care for herself and her parent. ‘You mean that she has relatives who might help them?’

‘Yes, indeed, very respectable ones! Her mother is a distant cousin of General Sir John Huntington, who heard of their plight several years ago and summoned Thérèse de Beaurain to offer them a home.’ Alex smiled. ‘I only know of this because I heard him telling all and sundry of his kind condescension in offering a home to destitute relatives! Truth to tell, he was so patronising that I can only imagine he offended the girl mortally. Anyway, the whole ton was later regaled with the story of how he had had his generosity spurned and that the family could rot in hell for all he cared! Not a pretty tale!’

Jane shivered. ‘So they have been left to make shift as best they can? How cruel!’

‘It seems very harsh, certainly. But if Simon can rescue her from all that—’ Alex shrugged. ‘But we are becoming distracted from the main point. I am relieved to know that there is so innocuous an explanation for tonight’s escapade, although I suppose finding Simon drunk outside his beloved’s house is a sign that his suit is not prospering!’

‘No,’ Jane said cautiously, ‘I believe that it is not!’ She took her courage in both hands. ‘But Simon’s misfortunes are not the main concern, are they, your Grace? It was only coincidence that brought him into contact with the man in the striped waistcoat—oh, I wish I knew his name, for to refer to him as such sounds so foolish! But he is clearly the one who is dangerous!’

‘His

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